There are three lead surgeons from plastic surgery, facial
plastic surgery and pediatric otolaryngology who will provide microtia and cleft lip/palate surgical and medical care. As one of two trainees attending, I will be joining Dr. Ryan Belcher focusing on cleft lip and palate care. We will screen patients on Sunday
and then provide surgical care from Monday to Friday. The local physicians and nurses work closely with our team to provide local care pre-arrival and throughout our time there. Our humanitarian team and local team oversee screening patients, triaging,
perioperative care, assisting with overnight/postoperative care, and follow up once our outreach trip has concluded. We maintain continuity with clinical updates with the local team.
Pediatric patients from the country of Guatemala with congenital craniofacial abnormalities with low access to care. This surgical and medical care is highly specialized and provided by a narrow group of physicians across the globe. Our goal is to increase access for these patients and improve their quality and continuity of care.
From a global standpoint, the Moore center serves many international communities and has been involved in multiple trips to the country of Guatemala. They prioritize providing high quality care for underserved populations.
From a sustainability standpoint, the Center has pediatric residents and Guatemalan medical students in which we will interact with and teach the principles of comprehensive cleft care management. We also train supporting staff, local physicians, nurses, and families on continued pre and post operative care. We are also planning an epidemiologic research project based off the patient cohort treated during this trip and previous trips.
From a personal standpoint, I am currently completing my pediatric otolaryngology fellowship with plans to provide craniofacial care in my future practice. I hope to cultivate my passion for global surgery and future outreach work. I hope to continue to hone my cleft surgical skills, but to absorb as much knowledge as I can with regards to starting and leading outreach trips, as providing global health care in a sustainable and meaningful way is an important goal of my training.
For many children in Guatemala, access to specialized surgical care remains unattainable. In a country where poverty and limited healthcare infrastructure create barriers, conditions such as cleft lip and palate, microtia, and many more congenital anomalies go untreated causing lifelong disabilities. The Moore Center opened in 2011 with a mission to change the lives of these children. The center functions as a surgery center that hosts surgical teams who provide free operations. During this trip, our team provided 34 reconstructive surgeries including care of cleft lip, cleft palate, microtia, and pediatric facial trauma.
However, of those impacted, I would list myself as one of the greatest. Participating in a surgical global mission has been a dream of mine for the past 10 years since starting my medical training. The surgical experience alongside my fellowship mentor was incredible, as we were able to efficiently and effectively provide care for the children. What struck me the most was the gratitude of the families—and the trust they placed in our team despite never having met us before. As a mother of two young children myself, I could not help but imagine being in their position and being grateful for the opportunity to change the lives of their children.
